Shattered
by EmberFalcon
Summary: It was not until that moment that he realized...that he should have never been born...
1. Chapter 1

Okay, I know I haven't been around in a while, but I've been stewing over this story until I got the plot down just right to w

Okay, I know I haven't been around in a while, but I've been stewing over this story until I got the plot down just right to where it's at least somewhat believable for the Inuyasha world (hey, it's not a stretch, but there are some far-out things I've seen, even for THIS series). Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, would I be THIS antsy to watch the new episodes that are –supposed- to be coming? I didn't think so.

--

This was wrong.

This was so very, _very_ wrong.

He should be happy, should be joining his friends in the celebration of Naraku's death, the completion of their quest, the saving of the _world_. He, a lowly half-breed, one of the saviors of the world that had done nothing but shun him for what he was…he mentally scoffed; what irony!

But rather than rejoice with the others back at the village, he was drawn to a growing disturbance within the trees surrounding the village. Well, it wasn't exactly a disturbance _yet_ per say, but there was something in the pit of the teenage hanyou's stomach that drew him into one of the few unknown places of his forest, toward, what he sensed was a…

Could it be considered a youkai? Granted, there was no scent to suggest that something foul was afoot; just the scent of trees, lightly dewed grass, and the coming rain. But there was a faint demonic aura coming from just ahead of him. Despite how weak it was, something pulled the hanyou to it- quite unusual for him; with a youki this weak, he would have normally just let the poor thing be. But something was telling him, _urging_ him to investigate the matter. And so Inuyasha was left with no choice but to heed it.

--

The shape shifter's lips curled into a dark grin as he sensed the half-breed's aura approaching. There was no mistaking it- this was the one. This was the vile beast that killed Naraku, his one true master. Granted, the time that Naraku controlled him was short; only when the other demons in the area flocked to the dark hanyou did the shape shifter follow, but in those few hours he was shown a wicked being with awesome powers. Seeing such strength, he felt moved, and watched in horror as his 'master' collapsed just before reaching the village, his seemingly limitless strength completely spent warding off the effects of those combined attacks from those who dared to defy the 'new order' Naraku had envisioned.

But now was not the time to get angry, he reminded himself as he picked through the hanyou's memories for ones he had long forgotten, or those he kept privy for himself when he was alone. The shape shifter's wicked smile widened as he came across a few particular fond memories. Oh, was this going to be fun.

--

Inuyasha stepped hesitantly toward the faint glowing light just beyond the trees, their leaves catching the glow's purple iridescent hue as it hung lazily in the air, almost as if it were a deep mist. Lost in a trance he didn't realize he had fallen into, he walked into the clearing, only to be met with the faint, almost warm glow spread throughout the trees. Somehow it…comforted him…he froze as he saw a figure emerge from the brush ahead of him. Instinctively, his hand snapped to Tetsusaiga's hilt at his hip, but oddly enough couldn't find it within himself to draw forth the Steel Cleaving Fang, for reasons beyond him. That is, until the figure before him revealed itself.

The woman stood just slightly shorter than he did, just to his nose, her long straight black hair flowing down past her knees, veiling the many layers of kimono that hung heavily on her otherwise trim body. Her ivory skin offset her hair almost as beautifully as his intended mate's did, Inuyasha thought idly as he forced his voice into working by croaking out, "Mother…?" He croaked in disbelief. He expected her to smile at him warmly, as she had always done when he was a child, and pat the top of his head, or scratch his ear, or hold him to shield him from the evils of the world like she did so many years ago, but was met with a cold stare, mimicking Kikyo's almost down to the last detail.

There was a small part of the hanyou that had not yet been lulled into the trance of the light that surrounded him, that continued to attempt to rationalize with the rest of him, tell him that his mother was dead, and this clearly was a fake; his mother was never cold to him; not one memory of her was one of bitterness, or cold. He stood there, unsure of what to say, confused as to why she was here, and why she stared at him as though she was disgusted by him.

"How _dare_ you," she spat, her lips twitching into a ghost of a smile when the hanyou visibly paled. "You have no right to call me that. Not after what you did to me, you sickening _half-breed_," she hissed as her eyes darkened over in hatred. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he began to decipher what she was implying. "If it weren't for you, if you hadn't been born, I wouldn't have been _killed_ like I was. It was you, monster…_you_ killed me."

"No…" Inuyasha shook his head meekly, but his bewitched mind was already agreeing with his 'mother.' Even the miniscule, rational part of him left had to admit that she had a point- if he had not been brought into this world, his mother would have been free to live as a happy woman, a cherished priestess, and a beloved princess to all across the land. But because of him, she died the death of a common _criminal_, as if she were some sort of _beastly_ creature that needed to be _slaughtered_.

--

Really, the shape shifter thought, he was making this too easy.

Bewitching Inuyasha's mind was almost too easy, what with him being so preoccupied with other matters he had deemed more important to think about than to follow a weak demonic aura in his forest. Once the hanyou was ensnared in his trap, making him believe that he was the half-breed's mother was a cinch. Crushing his spirit was even easier, as he was discovering.

But he had little time left in this world; using up so much of what little power he possessed, and maintaining it at this level was draining him of his life. He would die, but this hanyou would never truly be alive again. That, he concluded, was more than enough reason to complete his charm.

--

This was _not_ happening.

This was _not_ real.

His rationality was slipping through his fingers like dust in the wind. The tender parts of his heart he had long since locked away, memories of his loving mother were being eviscerated before his very eyes. The one sane voice in his head was fading, drowned out by his 'mother's' harsh words.

"You are nothing more than an abomination, a mistake I ended up paying dearly for," she lunged forward and grabbed the front of the hanyou's haori as she continued. "And now look at me! I'm dead, Inuyasha! I'm _DEAD_!!" As she spoke, her skin began to rot, her once beautiful face now deformed, its flesh crumbling off of her bones. Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut as his body began to tremble under the weight of the cold hard truth.

"No…No! Be quiet!" He desperately demanded, though any conviction he might have had, had long since left him. He clamped his clawed hands over his dog ears and bowed his head in an attempt to block out the 'reality' of the situation.

"Why do you think that _girl_ left? She left _you_! She is disgusted by you! She _hates_ you! Don't you see?!" She shook him fervently as she raised her head close enough to his that he could smell the decaying flesh that peeled off her face as though he was snorting the stuff. As her body crumbled, she whispered, "You should have never been _born_." Her last words sent his spine ramrod in shock and horror as what was left of her was simply reduced to ashes and crumpled, rotted old clothes on the ground.

But even after his mind was freed of the shape shifter's charm, and his sanity tried assuring him that none of it was real, he had to face the fact that what that thing said was morbidly _true_. If he had never been born, his mother would have lived long and well, Kikyo would have lived to be a wonderful priestess for her village well until she was at least as old as Kaede, his father would not have died protecting him, Kagome wouldn't have been dragged to this godforsaken era or had innumerable near-death encounters, or been heartbroken Kamis knew how many times…

"_You should have never been _born_."_

With a dry, strangled sob he sunk to his knees with a heavy 'thud' before the remains of the shape shifter. He knew, now that he was free of that damn spell, that this was certainly not his mother, but what it said had a point.

He did not deserve the air he breathed.

--

Eh heh heh heh…sorry if seemed like a bit of a stretch, but I promise I'll have another chapter up soon. Please review with your honest opinion (however harsh it may be). I look forward to hearing everyone's takes on this!


	2. Into the Meidou

Thanks to all the reviews so far! To clarify on a couple of points that were made: yes, Kagome went home for good (allegedly) and I do indeed intend to make it considerably darker in the next two or three chapters. So, enjoy! WARNING: Contains spoilers for recent chapters in the manga, though some of the events in this chapter were just things I altered to fit the plot of the story.

--

He really wasn't quite sure how long he sat there, staring blankly at the remains of his mother's imitation, and quite frankly…

…he didn't care.

His eyes glazed over in a self-loathing haze as he contemplated the meaning of his existence; granted, it wasn't the first time he did this- being a half-demon, one can't help but question their purpose on this earth. This time was different, though- he had no one to protect anymore, so he had no valid excuse for not being dead yet. What that 'thing' that impersonated his mother said was indeed true: Kagome had left the feudal era behind not too long ago…had it really only been three days?

--

_At first, no one was really sure how to react to the recent turn of events. Only minutes ago, after years of constant battle and bloodshed, Naraku had been reduced to a rotting corpse at long last. The weight of his influence had been lifted from the land, and even the air seemed much lighter, easier on the lungs. For a moment, the group of heroes could breathe a sigh of relief; the worst was over, and now they could all live peacefully… _

_But then…a meidou appeared. Naturally, the group was alarmed; Inuyasha had not summoned the meidou himself with his fang, so the origin of this portal to hell was unknown. However, before anyone had a chance to react to its appearance, Kagome was lifted into its abyss. All Inuyasha had time to say was "Don't go, Kagome!" and extend his arm toward her outstretched one in hopes of grabbing her to bring her back…he had to do something, anything, to keep her here with him._

_His claws swiped at air._

_His eyes widened, his heart hammered in his chest, chills ran down his spine, and all he could do was stand there and watch in horror as she disappeared and realized his every waking fear of one day leaving him alone._

_Without a moment's hesitation, Tetsusaiga was hastily ripped from its sheath as its master prepared to summon a meidou of his own. The usually silver blade was soon covered in an ink black hue before the hanyou slammed it into the ground. The orb serving as a gateway to hell erupted forth and he leapt into it with not a second thought._

_Granted, it took much searching in the darkness (hell is a rather big place, he found out) but at long last he had found her wandering hopelessly about the place; apparently, she had been looking for him, too. When he caught up with her, she had been trapped in a sort of 'alternate reality' where she was in high school and her friends in the feudal era never existed. Miraculously, she remembered everything about her adventures in the said time period, and his frantic heart eased at the look of pure relief that spread across her face when she saw him._

_But that one moment of respite was short-lived. The voice of the jewel shattered the moment between them as its ominous, disembodied voice boomed over the area, "You, miko, are damned to an eternity in this hell. The jewel cannot be destroyed; nor can the war between souls. Wish now to be with your friends, and your heart will forever be tainted with the same darkness that devoured the spirit of Midoriko." The 'alternate reality' that Kagome had to experience dissolved into a desolate blackness that encompassed the two in its empty embrace._

_The look of genuine horror that spread across Kagome's face broke Inuyasha's heart._

_But the fear was washed away, bit-by-bit, until all that was left was the face of a determined, brave young woman full of power and vigor. She turned to him, her gentle eyes contrasting her set features. "Kagome…?" He wasn't sure how to react to her expression, but he wasn't given a chance before she opened her mouth to say something. As she spoke, Inuyasha swore he felt his world crumbling around him._

"_Go back to the feudal era."_

_His breath hitched in his throat, and his eyes widened once more in terror. "What…?" he breathed, unsure of what she really meant. Surely she wasn't telling him to…?_

_"Go back to the feudal era without me, okay?" Though her tone was soft, and certainly a far cry from being cold, he still felt as though the walls were closing in on him. This wasn't happening, this _wasn't_ happening…_

_"But I-!"_

_"I think I understand now," she said slowly. "This battle…is to be fought with the demons residing within the jewel and…" she hesitated. "Me."_

_"Don't be stupid, Kagome!" He shook her shoulders, trying to make her understand that what she was implying was suicide; even someone with her spiritual strength could only last so long as a human…"There are far too many of them for you to handle on your own! I'll stay and help you clear them out, and-"_

_"Please, go back to the feudal era, Inuyasha," she whispered, her eyes pleading with him not to make this harder than it needed to be. "Naraku has been slain. That was your battle. This is mine."_

_"You can't expect me to just sit back and let you do this alone!" He shouted, mortified that she would even consider the notion. He had promised to protect her with his life! He couldn't just abandon that now! Not when she needed protecting the most!_

_"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," he opened his mouth to retaliate, but the darkness that had surrounded them began to engulf her, drown her in its emptiness. He shook his head, trying to deny that this nightmare was real…this had to be a dream…this had to be a horrible, terrifying dream…he'd wake up any second now…_

…_but when the darkness disappeared, he was standing outside Kaede's village…_

…_alone…_

--

He vaguely realized that his feet had carried him back to Kaede's hut, though no one was in it, given that the festival was far from done. He swept back the bamboo curtain that served as a door and solemnly entered the dark, silent space. He walked over to one of the walls adjacent to the door and leaned his back against it before sinking to the matted floor and drawing his knees a bit closer, just enough to set his forearms on his knees limply. He stared blankly at nothing in particular as he, not for the first time, pondered why Kagome had done what she had done.

He could not, for the life of him, understand why she wanted him to go back without her, why he couldn't help her when she helped him. Dammit he was supposed to be by her side! He had even admitted out loud that she was born to meet him, as he was born to meet her and…that was…the closest he ever got to saying that…he… how he really felt…

But perhaps that was for the best; if she ever found out about the love he harbored for her, she would have never wanted to see him again; she would have simply left him alone of her own free will. Though, at this point, he could only pray that she was still alive and had somehow managed to make it back to her era safely. It wasn't as if he could go check on her; the well that had connected them for so long had completely disappeared, vanished without a trace. Oh he had tried several times already to get through by simply jumping in where the well once was, but to no avail. In the end, he was still in the feudal era, and he had no idea where Kagome was.

What if she was still in that meidou? What if she was still battling those denizens of hell? Or what if…what if…she lost…? He didn't dare think of those possibilities; the thought that Kagome hadn't made it out alive made him tremble with fear. If she lost, the jewel would absorb her soul, Naraku would be born anew, and all their previous efforts would be for naught. If she won, the jewel would disappear, and she would be free to return to one of the two worlds she had grown to call home.

Already he had abandoned the hope that she would want to return here if she emerged victorious. She had even admitted to him, before the events leading to Naraku's death, that she liked her era because it was where she was born and raised; it was a much more familiar setting than the one she had been literally dragged into hardly two years ago. Though she had said in the same breath that she would always be with him, he knew better. It was foolish to think that someone would actually want to stick around him more than was required to; after all, the only reason that they were traveling together in the beginning was so that they could restore the Shikon Jewel and undo what Kagome had done.

So why was his heart still holding out hope that she would return to him?

The answer was quite simple, really; the only reason he still clung to that dim hope was so he had a reason to continue living. After all, if he killed himself and Kagome came back to find him like that, she would be devastated, wouldn't she?

But how would he know it was her? His weak mind already fell for a measly shape-shifter's trap –twice- once when Naraku pretended to be Kikyo fifty years ago, and again when that unknown shape-shifter took the form of his mother. Who's to say that he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the real Kagome and another imposter?

He mentally cursed himself; his mind was simply playing tricks on him. That stupid shape-shifter managed to totally demolish his faith in his instincts, in his surroundings, and questioned what was real and what wasn't for the first time in a long time. Just when he was beginning to change, when he was opening up, even if it was just a little, one little fucking incident had him slamming that creaked door shut and bolt-locking it to hide himself.

As cowardly as it sounded, he didn't want the world to see him.

He didn't think they'd understand.

--

To clarify, yes, Kagome was sucked into hell, and Inuyasha followed her. That's where they're at now in the manga, and Inuyasha does actually tell one of the unnamed demons he's fighting, "Kagome was born to meet me. And I too, for Kagome's sake…" in case anyone was wondering, but the rest of it I made up; in truth, Inuyasha and Kagome haven't even found each other yet in the manga chapters. Anywho, please read and review! –hugs everyone-


	3. Confusion

Aah, the end of the manga was splendid, no

Aah, the end of the manga was splendid, no? I enjoyed it! I won't spoil it too much in this story (to be honest, I forgot to update I was so thrilled with the series' ending. Please forgive me! –bows sadly-) Anywho, to respond to a point often made in the reviews: I do agree that what Kagome told Inuyasha doesn't sound like something she would say, but please do keep in mind that was intentional, and that might not have been Kagome…

--

Really, he thought. The way everyone else continued life as though nothing was wrong filled him with more rage than he thought he was capable of handling. He simply sat in a tree on the outskirts of the village, wallowing in his grief, listening to his friends all idly chat away, not once mentioning a word of the miko they had befriended. Since he returned from the meidou, not once was Kagome's name or even a reference of her brought up within the village, as if she had never fallen down the well, as if she had never disappeared from his life, as if she never existed.

To be quite honest, now that he thought about it, he seemed to be the only one who remembered Kagome well, even out of their traveling group. Upon further reflection, no one else seemed to recall how she disappeared, either…

At first, he had simply thought they wouldn't bring her up near him as a courtesy to him, trying to spare him from the pain that haunted him, shadowed him since she had left. As time moved on, however, he found that not only did they not mention her when they knew he was there, they never spoke of her even when they didn't think he was within earshot! Even the villagers stopped discussing Kagome; it seemed as though she had managed to fall off of the face of the earth in a single day, and he was the only one who noticed.

Why?

Kagome didn't deserve to simply be forgotten like some worthless swine. If that were true of anyone, it would be him, but not Kagome, never Kagome…why was it that he was so alone in his pain?! Why could no one recall her, acknowledge her time in this era?!

His friends didn't even act like his friends anymore; sure, they would simply wave as they walked by, but not one word had been exchanged between him and his companions since Kagome's disappearance. He couldn't understand it; had Kagome really been the only reason they associated with him?

Was he truly that despicable?

No, no, that couldn't be it…Kagome always told him he was worth something, that he was important, that he was _needed_…

But Kagome was gone.

So, he supposed, he was needed…for a while. She simply needed him to protect her while she did her job. He was a bodyguard, a guardian, and nothing more.

He had been a tool.

And boy, did they _use_ him.

He had been a fool, thinking that he could have friends that cared about him, that wanted him around just for the sake of friendship. What was he thinking?

So what if Kagome had stood up for him when people made fun of him, so what if she comforted him when he let her, so what if she had been nice, and had opened herself to him…and shared all of her secrets…and accepted him…and…and loved him…

…gods he was so fucking _confused_!

The Kagome he met in the meidou days earlier, the one that told him to return without her, was certainly not the Kagome he knew and loved. Had it been Kikyo telling him this, it would have been considerably more plausible to understand, given her somber and stoic personality. But Kagome- trusting, determined, hopeful, radiant Kagome? The thought she would say something like that of her own free will was unfathomable; she would tell any of her friends to abandon her unless they were physically and/or emotionally wounded in the process of staying with her. He had remained uninjured when he was searching for her, and he was emotionally stable when she sent him off, so there was no way on this earth, or in any other world beyond, that was the Kagome he so dearly loved.

Kagome was his first true friend, was his best friend, and had always been, so why were the others suddenly acting like they hardly knew him? Like he was just their neighbor or something? Was she really the glue that kept their group together? Had she been the only thing holding everything in place?

'Cause his world was falling apart without her.

He needed to know, he needed to fucking _know_ that at the very least Kagome was not forgotten, that he wasn't the only one missing her, to know he was not alone in his solitude (ironic, perhaps, but at least he could share his pain). So, he sought out his friends, just to be sure.

"Ah, Kagome-chan, I remember," Sango had said wistfully when Inuyasha commented on her, though her tone suggested that she was far too busy with other things to really put much thought into her best friend. "She traveled with the rest of us for a time, right? What ever happened to her?" Puzzled by his friend's behavior, the hanyou took the conversation to the monk. Surely Miroku would remember her, right…?

"Kagome-sama? Yes, yes, she was a good friend of ours. Have you seen her lately, Inuyasha?"

Clearly, his friends were going insane.

So, as a last resort, he sought Shippo out while the kitsune was playing with some of the village children. He asked the kit about Kagome the same way he had asked the majority of the village at this point. Surely he would remember his mother-figure better than anyone but himself! To his dismay, the boy's answer was akin to those that he had been receiving all day…

"Oh yeah, I remember Kagome! She used to give me candy when I was good! You didn't chase her away again, did you?"

What the hell was going on here?!

With a feral growl, he dug his claws into the palms of his hands in a vain effort to keep his growing frustration to himself. Why could no one remember what happened? It wasn't that long ago, for crying out loud! He looked over at the kids all playing some foolish game. He watched with very little interest as one of the little village girls went to pick up the dropped ball. Upon bringing her hand back up, he watched as she tossed it to one of her playmates. The boy she tossed it to caught it with relative ease, and threw it a bit too high for her to catch, so it sailed over her head. In a vain attempt to grasp the ball, she leapt backwards, throwing her weight behind her as she stretched her arms as far as they would go. The ball fumbled out of her fingers, causing her to stumble backwards and fall into the cabin behind her…

…wait…

…how the hell did her entire body go through solid wood…?

--

Confused? Don't worry, all will be explained in the next chapter, I assure you. Please leave a review, it's much appreciated!


	4. Farewell

Inuyasha raised his head slowly and turned toward the other villagers going about their merry way

As promised, all shall be explained in this chapter! Hopefully, you guys will forgive me for not updating sooner (been moving again). So, here you go!

--

Inuyasha raised his head slowly and turned toward the other villagers going about their merry way. Why did everything suddenly look so much darker to him? A sudden pulse at his hip refocused his attention on the steel cleaving fang at his side, watching in confusion as it began to rattle violently from within its sheath, demanding to be released from its casings. "Tetsusaiga…?" He breathed out in confusion. He pulled it out of its scabbard, though much to his shock, the Black Tetsusaiga was what greeted him. "I don't understand…" he muttered, gasping in surprise as the fang lurched forward, trembling greatly in his hands as he stumbled to compose himself. "What's going on…?" before he was able to finish his train of thought, a speck of light shone brilliantly in the distance, in the direction Tetsusaiga was still urging its master to go.

At first, he questioned why Tetsusaiga would demand a meidou to appear here and now; and it's not like he was still in the meidou Kagome had been sucked into-

…on second thought…

Slowly, the pieces were lining up; Kagome's acting out of character, the shape-shifter taking his mother's form and saying those things, the villagers and his friends all oblivious to how Kagome vanished, the disappearing well, the girl's hand going through the wood…

…he WAS still in the meidou!

As if to confirm this, his father's heirloom gave another demanding jerk toward the speck of light in the distance. The pain he had endured for three days morphed into pure blind rage at the thought that Kagome –the real one- was still somewhere in the same meidou, being put through Kamis knew what, and he had been sitting here, falling for the jewel's tricks completely and inarguably.

Tetsusaiga began to tremble from more than just its own doing at this point, even as he poised the sword high into the air, the blade was noticeably quivering, as was its wielder. Even as he charged into the meidou rip he had created, his thoughts were focused once more on finding Kagome, and keeping her safe as he had promised to.

He nearly stumbled when he landed right before a teary-eyed, clearly equally as shocked Kagome. The poor girl was trembling almost to the point of uncontrollable, clearly upset at whatever had taken place in his absence. "Inuyasha…I…" she whispered, stepping forward gingerly, as if to test his existence, to see if he was truly there. Apparently satisfied that it was indeed him, she wrapped her arms wholly around him and practically sagged against him, emotionally spent. His free arm didn't hesitate to wrap around her and clutch her against him as he rested his head against hers, his weary eyes eclipsed from his lids in relief. "I wanted to be with you…" he heard her murmur against the fabric of his kimono. Not very good with words (much less expressions) he settled for pulling her a bit closer and nuzzling her hair a bit.

She turned in his arms (though never entirely left them) and spoke out to the jewel hovering before them. "I know what to wish for now. Shikon-no-Tama, disappear!" She cried, her voice echoing with surety and valor. Both teens couldn't keep the victory out of their spirits as the jewel, that one sole object of solidified pain, suffering, and anguish, gave off one last weak glint of malice before crumbling into a useless pile of something that once was, something that could never be ever again.

Another few moments of silence later, Inuyasha was the one to hesitantly speak, almost as if he were afraid that should he utter a word, the jewel would reassemble itself, "We need to get out of here," she nodded, stepping back from him and looking up at him with a sheepish smile.

"You lead the way," he nodded, slipping his hand over hers, giving her a tug as a signal to follow him. She said nothing, only continued behind him as they aimlessly walked on into the abyss.

Never had either of them imagined their victory would be so silent, so ominous as the one they had achieved; the quiet that surrounded them was thicker than any fog, heavier than any emotional burden, and more frightening than any number of demons the pair could recall on the adventure leading up to this moment.

Exactly how long they were walking in the emptiness, neither could be certain, but their feet had miraculously carried them to a distant light, reminiscent of the "light at the end of the tunnel" that death had always been described as. Not knowing any other way they could possibly go, they continued to follow the beacon ahead of them. This orb of pure white abyss eventually rushed up to meet them, consume them, and ultimately, take them away from that hell that was once the domain of the Sacred Jewel.

One may imagine the pair's shock when they were greeted with the sight of Kagome's family in the well house, all in tears as they frantically called out to Kagome, unable to see her, their concern obvious as day. Unable to handle seeing her family suffering any further, Kagome immediately rushed over to them, letting go of Inuyasha's hand as she did so. No sooner than she had, her mother looked up in time to see her daughter kneel before her already kneeling self and embrace her.

The looks of relief on the family's faces were not missed by the hanyou observing them.

He stared at the reunited family in shock, then back at the neglected hand Kagome had let go of, then back at Kagome's family. He suddenly had never felt so alone in the world, so empty, so completely and totally isolated than when he stood there, one foot in each world, as he watched the woman of his dreams let go of him. He looked back at the group of them, so happy together, so relieved…

…and he was the outsider looking in once more.

He did not blame them at all; how could he, when he had been just as worried as Kagome? Nor could he put the blame on Kagome; what reason would he have when she truly did not know if she would ever see them again? It was then, in that moment, that he knew the blame could be passed to no one but him.

If he hadn't kept Kagome away from them so much, they wouldn't have worried. If he hadn't been so incredibly cold, so callous to Kagome, she wouldn't be so glad to be rid of him. If he had been a bit more open, a bit more understanding, she wouldn't have blamed him for acting the way he did. If he hadn't picked so many meaningless fights with her, she wouldn't want to get away from him so much.

If he had loved her the way he wanted to, she might not have left so eagerly.

But that was far too many 'ifs,' far too many mistakes, far too many chances he had turned away because of his own fears, because of his incapability to act human, if only a little. And now Kagome had let him go, silently, and chosen this world over his.

Again, he couldn't really blame her.

He turned, fully prepared to give her what she deserved- her life back. He figured a silent goodbye would be a bit easier…albeit he would be throwing away his last chance to make things right, so show her how much she mattered…

Another 'if.'

"Inuyasha…?" His fists clenched as hesitation pulled at him when she called out questioningly at him. _'Don't turn around,'_ his mind begged him. _'If you have to look at her, and tell her goodbye to her face, you'll never be able to leave, you'll never be able to make her happy…not that you ever could…'_ Really, she was just better off without him. He swallowed hard but remained steadfast in his decision. Though his heart would never be whole again, though he would never be able to smile without her, though he would never be complete with her absence, and though he would never be able to move on…

…he left her.


	5. I can Hope

Waaah

Waaah! I got so excited about my new Zelda fic I forgot to post this! I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!

--

He knew the moment that he returned to the Feudal Era, there was no turning back; he knew, deep down, the well would never allow him passage to see her again. He knew he didn't just leave her behind when he walked back into the meidou; he left his heart, his soul, his happiness, and his purpose.

And he knew he was hollow once more.

Even when he felt himself return to his birth era, saw his friends look at him questioningly, heard and smelt the sounds and scents of nature, his feet did not stop moving. Despite hearing his friends ask about Kagome, Inuyasha felt the sounds seemed distant, as though he was a thousand miles away from them. His mind had shut down, his entire being simply becoming a marionette for the Gods to use. His gaze did not move from straight ahead of him, nor did his feet turn in any other direction. He was in automatic; he did not stop.

"Kagome's safe," he heard someone say. Was that his voice? Did that empty, melancholic voice really belong to him? He could feel the questions his friends had, and how could he blame them? He had been gone for three days, as had Kagome, and now it was only he that was returning? They wouldn't be good friends if they didn't demand her whereabouts and he knew that…he just wasn't stable enough to explain it in detail at the moment…he knew that, too. Apparently, so did his friends; they did not question him further.

He needed to be alone. He needed to stop, to think, to realize what happened, to comprehend his actions, and the consequences they held, to rethink all the things he had done, and to avoid all of the above at the same time. He needed…he needed…hell, he didn't know what he needed.

No, that wasn't true.

He needed Kagome.

But she wasn't here. She wasn't here…wasn't here…but she said she always would be! She lied to him-! _'Don't even start that,' _he thought to himself. _'You were the one who left her behind. You were the one who stepped into the well without her. You left her there alone again. You can't blame the pain on anyone but yourself this time. This misery is all your fault,'_ how could he argue? Until the last few months of their time in the Feudal Era, he hadn't been particularly nice to her, never gave her any sense of closure, never made a point to express how he felt about her, so why should he have forced her to come back when all it would cause her is more misery. Gods knew he gave her enough of that already.

Why had he done all that he had done? She certainly hadn't asked for it, had been nothing short of angelic to him, became one of his most treasured companions, and yet he still treated her as though she was the source of all his pain, his anguish, and as though she was the worst person in the world. He could not think of one instance where there was any merit to that sort of behavior toward her. The fact that she stuck around as long as she had was a shock in and of itself- how she had managed to put up with him was a mystery he wasn't so sure he could ever solve.

And now she was gone- because of him –his happiness, his purpose, and his life with her. What good was he when he couldn't even make her smile, just once because he had tried to, because she had deserved it, because she needed it? Maybe if he had not taken her for granted, had actually taken the time to cherish the lovely maiden in his presence, perhaps things would have ended up differently?

But no, he would never know how things could have been. Only in his dreams would he be able to see through the window of opportunity that he had slammed shut so many times how his future would have been had he not been such a childish fool. Perhaps if he had taken everyone else's advice, had actually stopped to consider others before his own selfish feelings, maybe, maybe, maybe…

Far too many maybes…

There was no point in trying to pretend he wasn't suffering. His friends knew it, he knew it, anyone who saw him as he walked through the village knew it, so there was no point in trying to delude himself in the empty lies that told him he was fine; there was nothing to gain from them, nothing to be had in falling for his own petty thoughts.

After all, those are what got him here in the first place, right?

He should have known that the fairy tale would have to end, but why did it have to end so soon? Why couldn't the ending been at least hopeful? What was so bad in giving him hope, even if it was unfounded?

Hope…

He…he could hope that there would be a chance for her to come back to him…he could believe that the well would let one of them through one day…he could allow himself to hope that his ending had not yet come. He could let a faint, distant hope linger in the pit of his stomach, he could do that much, so that he could go on, so that his pain would at least be quelled with the comfort of thinking it wasn't the end.

This wasn't the end.

He would have to believe in that.


	6. I miss you

Ugh, sorry for the late update (haven't been home much lately) but to compensate, this chapter will be much longer than the la

Ugh, sorry for the late update (haven't been home much lately) but to compensate, this chapter will be much longer than the last one, so I hope you enjoy!

--

Even after six months, the pain hadn't let up even the slightest bit. Despite her days being consumed with classes, sports, and her nights filled with textbooks, homework, and family, Kagome found that, in the darkest hours of twilight, as she lie in bed, her thoughts would drift immediately back to Inuyasha and her true friends back in the feudal era. It was true that she had friends here, in this era, but they all seemed so…young…immature to her now, having been through what she had, their idle prattling of boys and how dramatic their lives were made her feel a thousand years older, knowing that if any of them went through what she had, none of them would have adapted nearly half as well.

Granted, it's not that she didn't think of Inuyasha often; she thought of her family on that side of the well every moment of every day, though throughout her bust schedule, she really could only think of them with her subconscious, only capable of half-thoughts and brief reminiscing. All that changed, however, when she was alone, in the darkest hours of night, where her dreams let her heart cry out those tears that it needed to shed.

Admittedly, the first week she was livid with Inuyasha; after all, he had simply left, with no goodbye, no explanation, not even so much as a glance at her. Surprisingly, it was her grandfather who told her exactly why the hanyou did what he chose to do. _"Kagome, he was giving you back your life. He knew how much you were gone from here, and he knew you missed this era very much. But know this, child: never, in all my years, did I see a more broken man than he looked as he turned away."_ His reassurances started to make sense after that; she remembered how Inuyasha's shoulders had tensed when she called out to him, the way he hesitated, the way he walked slowly away, and it was two weeks later that she fully came to understand that the feelings she had for him were mutual, completely and totally mutual between them. It was then that it became clear to her that he had moved on from his past, and knew that he wanted her to be happy.

But how was she supposed to be happy without him? Surely he knew how much he meant to her? She even said she wanted to be with him on several occasions! Then again…he was always so self-conscious, so aware of his mistakes, that maybe he let the way he used to act toward her effect his thinking. It made sense; he was always beating himself up about things he couldn't control or change, even before he opened up to her as a friend.

"Inuyasha," she mused with a sad shake of her head as she headed to her next class. "Why must you do these things?"

--

"Miroku, how come Inuyasha won't tell us what happened to Kagome?" Shippo hissed from his place on the monk's shoulder they watched the hanyou drag his feet about the village depressingly. Even the monk had to admit, that he was at a complete loss for why his friend offered no explanation as to what exactly transpired between the two of them that got them to this point. Certainly, Inuyasha had the grace to assure them that Kagome was safe in her era, but nothing beyond that was said about the subject, and it had been hard enough to get that much out of him, even in the weeks that followed the event; the thought of it was still difficult for him to bear, but how did he expect them to allow him to carry that pain alone? Hadn't he changed at all in the years they had all known each other? Or was he just shutting himself in again?

"I'm really not sure, Shippo," he started slowly. "But, I'm sure that, given time, he'll tell us when he's ready," he reassured the kitsune, though his words felt hollow even to himself; there was no guarantee that he would open up, and from the looks of things, it wasn't going to happen without some serious prodding. Knowing that he was probably the only one the hanyou would talk to, he turned to his head to the kit perched on his shoulder. "Shippo, would you please check on Sango while I talk to Inuyasha?" The young fox demon nodded and bounced merrily off, the subject temporarily lost to his juvenile mind. Readjusting his robes, the monk headed off into the forest, after his friend.

Not surprisingly, Miroku found Inuyasha at the base of the Sacred Tree, standing with his back to the monk. Without turning, he acknowledged, "You can come out, you know," he growled a bit rougher than he intended. Ignoring the harshness of his words, Miroku stepped into the clearing with a friendly but firm aura about him.

"Look, I know you don't want to talk about what happened with Kagome," the visible flinch did not go unnoticed by Miroku, but he pressed on regardless. "But we have a right to know, Inuyasha; Kagome was our friend, too," Inuyasha knew his friend's words were true, and he was well aware that they were more than due an explanation, but he couldn't bring himself to face the fact that she was gone. It was too painful, too horrifying, for him to comprehend.

"Well then, if you knew I didn't want to talk about it, why'd you bother asking?" He snapped, clearly not ready to deal with Kagome's absence. Seeing Miroku's stern gaze, he sighed and added in a softer voice. "I know you guys want to know, but I already told you; Kagome's safe…" his voice trailed until he shouted unexpectedly, "Isn't that enough?!"

"No, it's not," Miroku kept his tone low and even. "You're our friend, and you're upset over it, we all know that, so there's no point in hiding it." The monk kept his gaze hard on the hanyou.

"Just leave me alone, okay?" Inuyasha snapped again, his face twisting into a scowl as he turned and prepared to stalk off somewhere to brood. Miroku wasn't having that, not this time.

"Why don't you stop hiding from the simple fact that you miss her? Why don't you stop lying to yourself and admit that it hurts that she's gone-"

"I HAVE!!" Inuyasha roared, spinning on his heel to snarl at his friend. "You think I haven't? You think I don't realize now how much I hurt her? How much I left unsaid, unsolved, and unfixed?" The hanyou swallowed hard. "You don't think I regret my mistakes, hate what I did to her?" He bit his lip and stared down at the ground ahead of him. "You don't think it hurts? You think I don't care?" Miroku vaguely realized that the hanyou was no longer talking to him, but releasing what he had pent up inside for six months now, so he did not interrupt him as he continued, "I tried making up for those mistakes by letting her go. I gave her back to the people that have loved her longer than any of us have," Miroku's eyes widened. He had honestly not thought about Kagome's family. Of course there were other people that needed her, that loved her. "She'd be happier with them, at her home, than here, with the hanyou that never made her smile," by now, the hanyou's eyes had welled up in tears, his shoulders trembling to hold it in.

"I…I didn't know…I'm sorry, Inuyasha," Miroku said sincerely, though he knew his apology would not take away this self-inflicted guilt, or the pain- only one priestess could to that job, and she was five hundred years away, her heart bleeding with Inuyasha's. Now fully understanding what the hanyou was going through, he did not stop him from turning and briskly walking away, his shoulders tense, his back rigid, his ears drooping…

…his heart breaking.


	7. It finally dawns on me

Sorry for the long wait on this chapter- I kinda had to step back and see exactly where I wanted to go with this chapter, and if I wanted this one to be the end, or if I wanted to go one more chapter. My decision- next chapter is the end of this story (I like ending on even numbers) then, on to the next Inuyasha story I cook up! Anyway, here you go!

---

Since Miroku's confrontation with Inuyasha, no one brought up Kagome around the hanyou, at the monk's request. Though the taboo of discussing her baffled the others, Miroku did not make a point to elaborate much on what took place that day, now almost seven months ago. Not even his wife could bribe it out of him to tell her the specifics of the conversation between the two friends.

Despite not mentioning it, the surrogate family couldn't help but notice that Inuyasha had yet to completely realize that Kagome was no longer in this era, even though she had been gone for nearly seven months now. He walked around in a sort of daze, sometimes catching himself in the middle of asking where she had run off to, if only out of force of habit, or he would swear he heard her voice somewhere in a crowd of people and double-back a moment, only to remember that it was impossible for him to hear her voice again from where he was in comparison to her location. There was even one occasion where he swore he saw her pass by him when he walked down the village road once, but all of his hallucinations led him to dead ends, desperate hopes, and bottomless heartache.

On this day in particular, he was brooding more so than most others; tonight, once the sun set, he would be rendered mortal, open to the emotional wounds he had been ignoring since her departure from this time period. For one night, there would be no demon blood to numb the pain a little bit, no diluted hopes for her return, no running faster than your pain. Tonight, it was just him and an empty, sealed well.

He shook his head to stave off such notions; maybe he could sleep the new moon off, like he had done for the last seven moonless nights, and simply dream of better days filled with her scent, her warmth, and her kindness. Ah, those were good dreams, especially the ones that allowed him to live through his one longing- to live with her as his wife, cradling a gurgling, giggling pup in her arms, beaming down at their child. But then he would awake with the rise of the sun, and the moon would snatch his fantasies away as it slunk into the horizon. Strange as it sounded, those dreams were the only things that held him together on the moonless nights; he could feel love and not pain, he could be happy and not distraught, and he could feel her without having to think about the fact that it was all a lie.

No, no, no, no, this wasn't the right way to think, either! Thinking like that would only lead to more thoughts of things he could never have! With another shake of his head, the disheartened hanyou trudged along the dirt road of the village toward Kaede's hut to see if there was any work to be done to keep him occupied. Save for some weeds needing to be pulled, and a few logs to be chopped, there weren't any errands that needed to be run today, though the aged priestess promised that tomorrow, once his demon blood returned, she would need him to run a few vials of herbs to one of the neighboring villages.

The sun had set just as he was finishing up with wood chopping and bundling. By the time he had set the last tied up logs in the hut, his demonic features had vanished, and he was rendered once more a mortal. His feet had carried him to the well against his mental pleas, and had now become rooted to the spot, as if keeping him from running away. He stepped forward just close enough to run a clawless hand back and forth along the wood panels. He had tried to get through it three days ago once again, as he always had- every three days, like clockwork he would camp out by the well the entire day and try to get through, but was met with the same dirt floor every single time. Though, he hadn't tried yet today…

"No," he breathed, feeling the sting of tears at the corners of his eyes, mentally cursing his inability to keep composure at such a critical time. "I can't…" but he knew he could; the drop wasn't far enough to damage his human legs if he was not allowed passage, so physically he was perfectly capable of leaping down the well. But he knew he was not emotionally stable enough to handle it if the well rejected him once more.

But…

What if it let him pass, just this one time? What if he was passing up the only opportunity he would ever have at seeing Kagome once more? He swallowed hard despite his mouth feeling as though it was stuffed with cotton. He had to try! He had to see her! Surely, it would let him through this time! It had to!

Thoughts racing wildly in his head with the notion of possibly seeing her, holding her, made his legs vault the rest of his body over the lip of the well. For a few moments, his heart was in his throat, and he knew it wasn't from the fall; in those scant seconds, he knew he had made a fatal mistake.

He had allowed himself to hope again.

His bare feet thudded against the dirt at the bottom of the well. Knowing that her grandfather's well-kept Shinto shrine would not greet his eyes, he didn't dare raise his head. All he could do was stare at his feet, pressed against the floor, and feel, for the first time, the enormity of the situation.

Kagome was gone.

Kagome was never coming back.

Kagome was never coming back…because of him.

"I…" the tears welled faster than he had anticipated. Seven months of denial, seven months of false hopes, seven months of lying to himself, finally came crashing down on him in one fell swoop. The intensity of it all made his head spin, and he staggered forward to catch himself against the side of the well, his hands pressing against the dirt wall to hold him in place. "I'm sorry…" he whispered shakily, his tears dripping into the earth. "I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry, Kagome…" not once did he sob, or let out a cry- only stood there, and allowed his tears to streak down his face, let his shoulders tremble under the weight of his sorrow, and despite everything, allowed his heart to hope.

---

The monotony of her life now, compared to the way things were, drove her nearly insane. Her once frantic and thrilling lifestyle had now dwindled down to the black and white of present society that she had once thought of as her home. She dragged her feet into the house after yet another clockwork school day, numbly greeted her family, and locked herself away in the haven of her room. The last seven months hadn't been the kindest to her, nor her heart; certainly, her grades skyrocketed now that all her time was being spent in the era she supposedly "belonged" in, and she was once more one of the top thirty students in her class (naturally, she was the twelfth in her class) and of course she had been doing much better in lessons and whatnot, but it never felt like she was truly living, but simply existing in this bland and uneventful world that held nothing for her, made no promise of happiness, and not even the prospect of college- her biggest ambition before ever being sent to the feudal era- could not spark any interest in the young priestess.

Oh, she had tried to go back. She couldn't count how many times she had tried to return to her family on that side of the well, couldn't recall how many times she had to be taken to the doctor for a broken bone because she landed funny or hit something wrong when she was met with the hardened dirt floor of the well. Her medical sheet consisted of nothing but bone injuries, concussions, bruising, to the point where her mother was asked if she abused her daughter. Naturally, the thought was immediately vanquished when the accusers observed the closeness of the two women, and it became apparent that Kagome was just very clumsy and reckless.

Clumsy and…reckless…that's what Inuyasha always called her…

Even in the months leading to their separation, he had told her that she was a klutz, and that she shouldn't be so reckless, though it was clear from the look in his eyes, the tone in his voice, that they were simply words of pure concern, a fear that he couldn't protect her from her own lack of grace, and something much more serious could befall her should he fail. He had even tried coaxing her into staying here while he went off to fight Naraku. On retrospect, she almost laughed at the notion. Imagine! Asking her to leave him to fight alone, like she would ever willingly do such a thing!

But…he left her…

She shook her head. No, he only left because he felt that he was making her happy. He walked away to give her back the life she had lost because of her adventures in his era. When he went back without her, he had ultimately freed her of him and all that the feudal era could offer her. Naturally, he was doing what he always did- he was looking out for her, protecting her, and trying to make her happy.

What he didn't know was that she had never, ever wanted to be free of neither him, nor his world.

So wrapped up in the sea of her thoughts, she had not realized that her feet had carried her to the window of her bedroom. Resting a hand on the cool glass, she allowed herself to once more drift in the current of her memories. How many times had Inuyasha barged through this very window unannounced, demanding that she return with him? Or when he would show up randomly to check up on her, or the last time he was in here, when he had come to return the bow of Mount Azusa because she had left it in the feudal era…when she had promised to always be with him, when he swore in return to protect her with his life…when they had almost…

Her cloudy gaze rose to the sky outside, mourning for the loss of the wonderful star-gazing she once did in Inuyasha's era-

Wait…

…Where was the moon…?

Her eyes widened in horror. There was no moon. There wasn't enough pollution to mist over the moon completely (thank the kamis for that). Panic rising in her chest, she raced over to her calendar and checked the moon's position on this date.

New Moon.

Inuyasha was a human…

…and she wasn't there for him.

"No," she whispered as tears filled her eyes. "I promised…I promised-!" Flinging her door open, she descended the stairs three at a time (later she would joke that Inuyasha would have been proud of her for not falling), all the while ignoring the sympathetic stares she received from her family as she ran to the well shrine. Saying a small prayer as she reached its sliding doors, she burst into the little building and skipped the three steps down to the well altogether before using the momentum to vault herself over the lip of the well. "Please…" she murmured under her breath as she neared the bottom…

_Thud._

The finality of the sound would forever haunt Kagome as she knelt there, mortified that she was not there to console Inuyasha on the night he needed it most, loathing the fact that she was unable to reach out to him, infuriated by the fact that she had not been able to comfort him the last seven human nights he had since her absence. The tears that she had held in considerably well now streaked her face as she knelt there and sobbed. Her chest heaved and her shoulders shook; all of the agony, all of the pain she had managed to smother with work and studying, was finally let out.

How long she had sat there and wept, she honestly didn't know, but she wasn't really surprised that her mother was waiting for her once she climbed out of the well. "You've done this every new moon, dear," she soothed her distraught daughter. "But you've never taken it this hard…"

"I can't go back…" she confessed, "it never really hit me until now- the weight of that fact- not until just now…" after another sob, the priestess continued, "…now, when he needs me the most…" unable to continue, she swallowed hard and forced a smile on her face as she told her mother that she would be alright and that she was retiring to bed early. Once she wished her mother good night, she returned to her room, crawled into bed, and cried until she could not shed another tear.

-------------

Okay, next chapter will be the epilogue, I promise! Please read and review!


	8. Never Ending Story

Ack- my sincerest apologies for not updating…I had about twenty different ideas about what I wanted the ending of the story to be- whether I wanted it to be the end of the manga or an epilogue of the manga. Well, this was the one that I decided sucked the least, so please enjoy until I come up with another story for the Inuyasha series!

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It had been about four and a half years since that night. Admittedly, the earlier years weren't exactly easy on the hanyou and miko...though there were times when the brightest hope had shone through the vast emptiness of isolation, there was still more sadness in those first few years than either of them could have even began to try and fight off every single agonizing day.

Inuyasha opened his eyes lazily, blinking back the dark veil of sleep that had been pulled over him in the night. Once his blurred and hazy vision had cleared, he realized that he had turned in his sleep and his head was now buried deep into his pillow. He lifted his heavy head from the pillow to look at his clawed hand, peeking out from the warm covers, resting on the other side of the futon, where another should still be sleeping beside him.

For a few scant moments, his groggy mind could not understand this person's absence. After all, they had been sleeping next to each other for almost two years now…he bolted upright, his eyes widening in horror. Where was…?!? Fears he had thought were long gone suddenly bubbled to the surface, wondering if it had all been a dream, if something had happened, if-

"Honestly, koibito, you really have to stop having these panic attacks when I get up before you," a soft voice drifted into his dog-like ears. He turned his head to find Kagome keeping watch on the pot she had cooking over the fire, stirring occasionally to keep its contents from burning. His entire frame went lax at the sight of her. So he really hadn't been dreaming. He shook his head to clear it better.

"How is it that I can't tell when you've left the bed nowadays, woman?" He asked her flatly after a few moments, evidently not happy with her newfound stealthy methods of leaving the bed before him. Her soft giggle made his heart warm. He had missed that laugh when she had been gone those three years…

"Check under the blanket, silly husband," she said simply, still not turning from her pot. Ignoring the further melting of his heart at the title momentarily, he turned his head and pulled back her half of the blanket. Sure enough, the gray robe she had worn to bed last night was still there, deluding his senses into thinking that she had still been lying there beside him while he was still sleeping.

"Oi, that's just underhanded!" He pouted, glaring at her through his bangs. She only shook her head and handed him a bowl full of stew. His nose, finally picking up on the delectable smell of her cooking, inhaled the wonderful scent as he gratefully took it and a spoon from her hands, eager to eat. After he had finished half of his bowl, he noticed that she had barely touched hers. "Kagome?" He asked seriously, lowering his bowl and reaching out to touch her hand. Her gaze, which had yet to meet his, had been clouded over and focused on her lap until she felt his hand gently grasp hers. The contact was enough to lift her eyes to his in surprise, but it was only for a fleeting moment before they returned to their original object of interest. Worry began to knot his stomach as he feared that she was regretting coming back to him. "Is there something…wrong…?" He chewed his lip, a nervous habit of his that he had never really broken. She swallowed hard and practically forced herself to look back into his eyes.

"I spoke with Kaede…" she began slowly. He felt his throat close. She had been looking for a way back home. That was the only explanation why she was being so distant to him lately. "…there's something I found out, and it made me really happy, but I just don't know how you'll take it…" oh Gods, she was leaving him…he had tried to make her happy, tried to make sure that he let her know how much he cherished her, how much he cared…was it not enough?!? "…I'm not really sure how else to explain it to you…I've been trying to come up with a way, but I suppose I just have to tell you simply as it is and not mince words…" no, no, no, no, NO, please Gods don't take her from him a second time- he couldn't even fathom going through that amount of hellish sorrow again! "…Inuyasha…" she took her hand away that he had been holding, only to grasp his and bring it forward to gently rest on her stomach. He almost frowned in thought, unsure of what the gesture meant. Why was she-?

Oh…

…_oh_.

"…Pregnant…?" he breathed, his eyes bulging. She gave him a flat look in response. She loved him to death, but there were times she wondered just how well his head functioned.

"Well, I'm not trying to tell you I'm hungry, that's for sure…" her expression grew disheartened once more as she took a deep breath. "…Yes, I'm pregnant, Inuyasha," she confirmed softly as her eyes welled in tears. "I was so happy when I found out, but I wasn't sure if you would be, too. I mean, I didn't really know if you wanted- oof!" The air was suddenly knocked out of her lungs when she felt him pull her to him in the tightest embrace they had shared since the day she had returned nearly two years ago. She hugged him back tentatively, unsure of what this meant.

"Baka," he said warmly, as though it had been a term of endearment (with him, it was, though, she thought to herself) as he held her closer. "Don't think for a second that I wouldn't want a child with you." He pulled back to kiss her forehead, then took her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing along her cheekbones in a slow soothing motion. "How long have you known?"

"About two weeks now…I wasn't sure how to tell you…I'm so sorry…" she answered sheepishly, half expecting him to be upset that she hadn't told him for that long. That was far from the case, however- he was mostly just glad that she hadn't been distant because she wanted out of the marriage or because she wanted to leave this era permanently. Better yet, they would be starting a family soon! At this point, he was absolutely giddy!

"Then the baby should come in time for spring, right?" He asked, his eyes darting briefly to the open window, where a nice summer breeze was gently drifting in, hinted with the scent of the morning dew. She nodded her head.

"It should come about the same time as the village harvest, now that I think about it…" she pondered aloud. If she still had any uncertainties about whether her husband was happy that she was with child, the small, genuine smile of his face was what would have quelled her fears and reassured her that he was just as happy as she was about it. She smiled back shyly, feeling a bit foolish for being so worried. Upon reflection, they had talked of children before (granted, he wasn't exactly clear about whether he wanted them or not, but it was discussed nonetheless) and he had never seemed repulsed by the idea in the least. He was simply concerned with whether he would be a good father or not- after all, he didn't have much of an example to go off of, given the closest thing he's had to a father has been Totosai…

"What about in the winter season? What if you get sick? I mean, you normally don't, but…" his thoughts began to spin with the several possible ways that his wife and/or his child would be put in harm's way while she carried the baby. He would have continued listing off his worries had Kagome not scooped his spoon into his stew and shoved it into his mouth, effectively silencing him.

"That train of thought will get us nowhere right now, dear. For now, life will go on as it usually does. When it starts getting difficult to do normal tasks, I'll do what I can, but I won't endanger the baby, alright? Have we got a deal?" She raised an eyebrow to him and flashed him her mischievous little smile that she knew he had a difficult time resisting.

"…Fine," he huffed, still clearly concerned more than he would admit at the moment. Sure, he may be married, but he still had his manly pride…mostly! "But you're going on bed rest the moment I see you having trouble, you hear?" His ears flattened and he pouted, his only ace in the hole against her. She simply giggled.

"Alright, alright, it's settled, then!" Her chuckles bubbled into laughter when he smirked in triumph, as though he had won something. He glared playfully at her when she kept laughing at his ridiculous expression.

"Oi, woman- don't make me punish you for mockin' me!" She let out a squeak in response as he pounced on her (gently- she was pregnant, after all!) so that she was on her back on their futon. Inuyasha tugged the blankets over them to allow for some privacy as he mumbled soft words into her hair.

Oh, one could tell the rest of the events that followed, but what would be left for the imagination, one would wonder? So, unfortunately, this tale ends here. The story of their love, however, is far from over- for theirs is the stuff of legends, and will go on for all time.


End file.
